The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a show cause notice against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, despite his clarification of the "terrorist" remark against PM Modi.
In a "stern notice", the Congress chief has now been asked to explain his stand on the comment within 24 hours, officials told PTI.
Notably, Kharge's "terrorist" comment on Tuesday comes just hours ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections on April 23 and the beginning of the mandatory 48-hour 'silent period' in the state.
What had Kharge said?
Speaking at a press conference in Chennai on Tuesday, Kharge had criticised the AIADMK's alliance with the BJP, questioning why "these AIADMK people, who themselves put the photo of Annadurai ... how can they join with Modi? He is a terrorist...".
"He doesn't believe in equality. His party won't believe in equality and justice ... These people are joining with them; it means they are weakening democracy," Kharge added, criticising the Dravidian party's choices and claiming that the PM of "terrorising" political parties by misusing government machinery to silence the Opposition.
This struck a nerve across the NDA alliance, with many calling for strict action against the Congress chief.
However, when asked to explain his statement, Kharge had clarified to reporters that he did not mean the word in its literal sense, and meant that Modi had been "terrorising" the democratic working of the country.
"He is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist (in the literal sense). Terrorising this ... he is misusing his power and government machinery and abusing, maligning opposition parties," he noted.